Enron's Skilling gets 24 years in prison

HOUSTON, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- The former head of Houston's Enron Corp. drew a 24-year-four-month prison sentence Monday in the collapse of the once-mighty energy trading giant.

Federal judge Sim Lake sentenced Jeffery Skilling to nearly a quarter century behind bars and ruled that he will not be allowed to be free while he appeals his conviction, the Houston Chronicle reported.

However, Skilling will be allowed to stay home, under electronic surveillance, while U.S. prison officials decide which facility will be the 52-year-old's new home.

Lake also ordered Skilling to participate in alcohol and mental health programs and approved the forfeiture of $45 million to be distributed to Enron employees.

Skilling was convicted in May of 19 counts of conspiracy, fraud and insider trading. His co-defendant, Ken Lay, died in July of a heart attack; both the indictments and convictions of Lay have since been vacated.